King not quite worthy of the title, but close

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Rated PG-13 for: a brief sexual reference
Running Time: 1 hr, 19 min
Starring: Billy Mitchell, Steve Wiebe

Rating: Two and a half stars (out of four)

In select theaters now



Chances are, you've probably never heard of Billy Mitchell. Truth is, most people haven't. But if you happen to be a part of the competitive gaming world, specifically competitive gaming involving classic arcade fair, then Billy Mitchell might be a big name to you.

See, Billy Mitchell is (or, possibly, was- you'll have to see the movie to find out) the world's highest ranking player of the classic game Donkey Kong. Which pretty much makes him the Michael Jordan of competitive classic gaming.

Enter Steve Wiebe. Steve is a mild-mannered family man who lives in Washington. See, he is also at the top of his game at Donkey Kong. In fact, he challenged Mitchell's record, and wanted to become the official world record holder as the best Donkey Kong player in the world.

Doesn't sound like it would make for an interesting documentary, does it?

The thing is, though, that as much as this subject doesn't exactly seem like it would make for engaging cinema, it will surprise you. Because the documentary in question, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is exactly that: the story of how an underdog, Steve Weibe, went up against a ruthless opponent and his journey to try and take the title of best Donkey Kong player in the world. And, against all odds, it actually works.

What's fascinating about the documentary, aside from the main story at hand (which we'll get to in a moment) is the backstory about the game itself, as well as the world of competitive gaming. There is a rather large group of people around the world who are immersed in this hobby. There is a website, Twin Galaxies, who is trusted by Guinness to keep track of world record attempts by competitive gamers. There are complex rules involved and a rich history behind all this, all of which is explored in the film.

That aside, what the movie really is about is a classic struggle between good and evil. You've got your good guy (Steve), who is completely on the level and your bad guy (Billy) who is unethical, egotistical, and, basically, an all-around jerk. Just like any other story, you root for the good guy, boo the bad guy, and, I have to say, for a movie about a video game competition, you really do get sucked in.





It's an interesting story told well, even if it feels a bit too dramatic at times. Director Seth Gordon does a good job of keeping the pacing crisp, never letting the story lag.

All in all, King of Kong is well worth the viewing if you're up for a unique, entertaining little story. That being said, I'm not quite sure it's worth tracking down at the multiplex. This Kong is better served by waiting for it as a rental.

Be sure not to miss The Darjeeling Limited

The Darjeeling Limited

Rated R for: language
Running Time: 1 hr, 31 min
Starring: Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman

Rating: Three stars (out of four)

In select theaters now



Wes Anderson is a director whose movies you either love or hate.

The Royal Tenenbaums, Bottle Rocket, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou...these are strange, strange movies that dare to move on the fringe of the mainstream. You either dig Wes Anderson's style, or you don't. For the most part.

See, I actually didn't care for Royal all that much (though I suspect a second viewing might improve my opinion), Bottle Rocket was pretty good, but nothing spectacular, and I loved Life Aquatic. So, ok, I just disproved my own rule. Or, perhaps, I'm the exception that proves it.

Anyway, my point is, his movies are the type that will leave some scratching their heads, wondering what they just saw.

In The Darjeeling Limited, Anderson will probably segregate fewer viewers than any of his previous films. It definitely has that signature Wes Anderson style, but it's far more subdued here, and, more importantly, the characters and plot are much more accessible. It's still weird, though. It wouldn't be an Anderson picture without that particular element.

Still, this is a more mature Anderson than we've seen before. This is an Anderson who is finally mastering his craft, bringing his filmmaking to a whole new level. And I love him for it.

The movie involves three brothers: Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman), who have all grown apart after their father's death. In fact, when we catch up with them, they haven't spoken to one another in a year.

Francis has brought them altogether in India, hoping that a trip on the train The Darjeeling Limited will bring them closer together, so they can be family once again.

They all bring their metaphorical (and physical, for that matter) baggage with them.

Francis narrowly escaped a horrific motorcycle accident with his life, and is trying to make the best of his second chance. Peter is seriously freaked out and having second thoughts as he approaches the birth of his first child (something he certainly didn't have planned for his life.) And Jack is still heartbroken over a recent breakup.



These are three guys who couldn't be more different from each other. Yet, as the trip moves on, you start to watch them bond, and work through their individual journeys while they move along their collective travel.

Of course, more happens plotwise, but I don't want to give too much away. Besides, what happens in the story is secondary to these characters. After all is said and done, the film is, at its heart, a character study, and you couldn't find three actors better suited for the job than these.

All acting is top notch here, but my personal favorite is Adrien Brody as Peter. Everything about his performance is captured in his motions, in the way he carries himself, not so much by dialogue. He's haunted, and there's not a moment he's on the screen that we don't see it in his eyes. It's a subtle performance, as are the performances of the other two main performers, and that is worth the price of admission alone.

And it's honest. Really honest. Sometimes brutally so. This is the story of three damaged people, three brothers who have grown apart but don't realize just how much they need each other.

I'll be totally honest here and say I'm not quite sure how much I enjoyed The Darjeeling Limited. Don't get me wrong- I'm sure I liked it, just not quite sure how much just yet. I get the feeling this is one of those films that I really need to see more than once to let it grow on me. It's a lot to take in on one viewing.

That being said, I can honestly say that, objectively, The Darjeeling Limited is a damn good film. I can't heap enough praise on it for the way it's beautifully shot and directed. You really feel like you've been transported to India. This doesn't feel like some fake Hollywood backlot or green screen hackery. This is the real deal.

Credit that to Anderson, whose filmmaking really stands out here. This is so beautifully done, put together so well, that it was almost distracting at times.

The Darjeeling Limited is a small film. This is a character study and a subtle story about family, the bonds of brotherhood, and how the past can hover over and haunt us. It's not for everyone, but if you know what you're getting into going in, there's a much better chance that you'll walk away having fully appreciated it.

Oh, and one other thing- there is a short film, entitled Hotel Chevalier, which is a prologue to the main film and gives some very important background on Schwartzman's character. When I saw the screening tonight, they showed it before the movie, but I'm not sure if they are going to be doing this when the film starts opening wide.

It is available through the web, and I would highly, highly recommend tracking it down before seeing Darjeeling. If they don't end up showing the short before the film in theaters, you'll be glad you took a few minutes to watch it on the web beforehand. There are a few moments in the film that won't make any sense without watching it.

Feel free to turn off The TV Set

The TV Set

Rated R for: Language
Running time: 1 hr, 28 min
Starring: David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver

Rating: One and a half stars (out of four)

On DVD now



The television industry is a bitch.

Then again, so is the music industry, the movie industry, and just about any other industry that has to do with the entertainment business. Satire of said industries is old hat, yet, on the grand scale of things, you don't see many movies or shows exploring the underside of Hollywood.

These types of satire can be really good. Or fall flat on their face. The TV Set, the little seen film from writer/director Jake Kasdan, does the latter. But they try, and for that you have to give them credit. And, surprisingly, the film, despite not quite achieving its grandiose ambitions, is still watchable, which is really saying something.

David Duchovny stars as Mike, a writer whose dream just came true: his television script has just been picked up by a network, and is being made into a pilot.

What Mike soon learns, of course, is that the television industry can swoop in and destroy a writer's vision, which is exactly what happens when network president Lenny (Sigourney Weaver) starts to make the creative decisions.

First, Mike's first choice for the show's star gets passed over for a much more "broad" actor, even though Mike's comedy is supposed to be of the darker, more sober variety. Then, Lenny asks Mike if he wouldn't mind changing up the premise a bit: instead of the main character's brother committing suicide, couldn't he just remain alive, instead? After all, Lenny reasons, suicide is so "depressing." Nevermind the fact that Mike's own brother killed himself, inspiring him to write the script. They were hoping for a show more like "Northern Exposure meets Ed."

And it all goes downhill from there. You get the idea.





It would be sad to watch Mike's show fall into ruin right before our eyes if we gave more of a damn about him. Problem is, we really don't care all that much.

That same problem resonates even more with some of the other characters in the movie, a few of whom get their own useless subplots, one of which gets resolved in a rather unsatisfactory way, another of which never gets resolved at all.

And many of the scenes linger way, way too long. I get that they were going more for the feel of a play than a movie, but, damnit, you have to keep things interesting to keep your audience engaged.

Which is all well and good, really, because, in the end, we don't care about the characters, we hardly care about the story, and, once the movie finally reveals its incredibly abrupt ending, we're left with a perplexed, "That's it?"

Ironically, the movie about a TV showing being developed doesn't feel developed enough itself. They don't build the characters up enough for us to care about them, they don't care enough to tie up loose ends, and, as mentioned, the movie just sort of stops, and the audience is left wondering why they just spent nearly an hour and a half watching a story that never feels complete. The film isn't bad, necessarily, just not very good.

As I mentioned before, it's watchable, but barely. Unless you're really bored, or a huge Duchovny fan, you'd be best leaving The TV Set alone.